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Culver City, Ca, December 15, 2008 - Sony Pictures Animation has set a first look producing deal with The Gotham Group to supply four-quadrant family films. The deal was announced today by Hannah Minghella, president of production for Sony Pictures Animation and Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions.

The Gotham Group is recognized as one of the leading creator-driven management and production firms in the entertainment industry. Ellen Goldsmith-Vein is the founder and CEO of the company, which represents some of the industry's top directors, writers, authors, actors, illustrators, publishing houses and comic book companies. The Gotham Group represents a wide array of source material from major publishers and comic book companies, including works from such clients as Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, HarperCollins Children's Books (U.S. & UK), Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt, Dark Horse Entertainment, SAF Comics, Bloomsbury Children's Books USA/Walker & Co., and Simon Spotlight Entertainment.

"Ellen Goldsmith-Vein has impeccable taste in material and phenomenal talent relationships," said Bob Osher. "With her client base and Gotham's association with the top publishers, we are excited to team with Ellen and her team to find original stories, characters and talent."

"We are really excited to be in business with Sony," says Goldsmith-Vein. "This deal is a testament to their commitment to making big, tentpole movies that the whole family can enjoy together."

"Since I joined Sony Pictures Animation, Ellen has been a true ally in discovering new talent and original material," said Hannah Minghella. "We see this relationship as a vital part of our continuing design to make Sony Pictures Animation a home for creative talent and formalizes what has already been a significant creative relationship."

About the Gotham Group:The Gotham Group's first major producing effort, The Spiderwick Chronicles, was released in February of this year to critical praise and has grossed over $200 million worldwide. Gotham is currently in production on Dead Space, an animated feature for Starz! Media, and the fully animated 3D, CGI large format film Quantum Quest, the first film ever initiated by NASA/JPL, which boasts an all-star voice cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Hayden Christensen, Sandra Oh, Amanda Peet, Jason Alexander, Abigail Breslin, and Chris Pine. The Gotham Group recently announced a partnership with the Chungnan Techno Park, Chungam province of South Korea, and several South Korean corporations in an unprecedented public-private partnership, to form an animation fund totaling more than $300m for the purpose of financing, producing and distributing six to eight animated and live action/animated hybrid feature films. Gotham currently has a diverse slate of over 30 feature films set up at various studios including: Spanking Shakespeare, for Paramount; The Devil You Know to be directed by Shawn Levy for 20th Century Fox; Big Brave Brian being written by Gotham clients, Chris Viscardi and Will McRobb (Alvin & the Chipmunks) which will star Duane "The Rock" Johnson for CBS Films; The Overachievers, with Levy's 21 Laps banner for Universal; Mercy Road with Forest Whitaker attached to star and written by Gotham client Roy Freirich (Winged Creatures); Stargirl with The Montecito Picture Company for DreamWorks; Doug TenNapel's graphic novel Monster Zoo with Sam Raimi's Star Road Entertainment for Paramount; ZERO G with Temple Hill Productions at 20th Century Fox; Bobby Blue Sky written by Emmy-nominated Gotham client, Emily Kapnek, with Topher Grace and Paul Rudd attached to star, and Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper, to be directed by Gary Ross for Universal.

In the television arena, Goldsmith-Vein executive produced the Emmy-nominated Creature Comforts America, produced by Aardman Animations, which initially aired on CBS and is currently airing on Animal Planet. Creature Comforts America also won the 2008 Annie Award for Best Animated Television Production. Additionally, she was the executive producer of Elmo's Christmas Countdown with Sesame Workshop for ABC in December of 2007, which had a star-studded cast including Sheryl Crow, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Ben Stiller, Kevin James, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Ty Pennington, and more. Goldsmith-Vein is currently developing Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay, based on the best-selling book series, for NBC; Stressed Eric with Aardman Animation for TBS, and Wrinkles at 20th/FBC pilot for an animated primetime series.

About Sony Pictures Animation:Sony Pictures Animation exemplifies the next generation of CGI storytelling to produce a variety of animated entertainment for audiences around the world. Sony Pictures Animation is developing a full slate of films with Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs now in production. Its second film, Surf's Up, was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature and won two Annie Awards. Its first film, Open Season, was a box office success and the #2 DVD title of the year for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) in 2007. A sequel, Open Season 2, is scheduled for release on January 27 for SPHE. Sony Pictures Animation is an operating unit of Sony Pictures Digital Productions.